|
ALERT
|
Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, as well as state and national animal welfare response teams, are readying to assist Florida animal shelters as Hurricane Dorian approaches.
Here’s what you need to know now as you prepare your shelter for the next few days:
1. Check the projected path of the storm throughout the day to see if your area might be impacted https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane
2. Introduce your shelter to your county Emergency Operations Center BEFORE the storm hits. Let them know where your shelter is located, how you can be reached if communications go down, and what kind of assistance you can anticipate needing. Your local EOC will be your lifeline if your shelter needs help. https://flsart.org/resource/countyinformation.jsp
3. If it’s looking like your shelter may be in the path or is subject to flooding, EVACUATE IT. National organizations are standing by to transport animals out of the state to safety. Don’t put your animals or your personnel in harm’s way by trying to operate a shelter in the path of a hurricane. It is much easier to connect with transport and shelter partners well before the storm than at the last minute after the storm hits. Message us at Cameron.moore@ufl.edu if you need help such as evacuating.
4. Need help before, during, or after the hurricane? The First step is to register a mission request with your county EOC. This documents the need and is the quickest way to get help through the Incident Command System. It is also required for any storm-related reimbursements you may be eligible for from the county, state or FEMA. The Second step is to message us at Cameron.moore@ufl.edu and we’ll do our best to connect you with the help you need.
Enroll your shelter in UF’s Florida Animal Shelter Emergency Network
Providing your emergency contact information will enable us to contact you during times your shelter phones may not be answered. Many Florida shelters have already provided emergency contacts so they can receive the urgent notifications they need to stay on top of this fast-moving situation, access grants, receive emergency supplies, and get all the help they need to keep animal and personnel safe. If you’ve already enrolled, we have your back.
If you’re not sure it’s better to be safe and fill it out (which you can do below).
In the meantime,
• Make sure that we have your emergency contact information updated in our system (we will not share your private information outside of our team)
• Be ready to take advantage of any pre-storm transport offered so that you can reserve your limited space for post storm victims
• Transport out any pre-storm adoptable animals that are off their stray hold and available for adoption
• Get medical records updated and printed in case you lose power (place each animal’s record in a plastic sheet protector which can be taped or attached to a carrier)
• Place ID bands on the animals to avoid confusion during transport (if they are microchipped that is great too as long as the chip number is recorded in their medical history)
• Gather crates/carriers for transport and/or temporary fostering
• Ask the community for help with temporary fostering during the storm so you can again free up space in the shelter for post-storm victims
Make sure you have enough s
Here’s what you need to know now as you prepare your shelter for the next few days:
1. Check the projected path of the storm throughout the day to see if your area might be impacted https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane
2. Introduce your shelter to your county Emergency Operations Center BEFORE the storm hits. Let them know where your shelter is located, how you can be reached if communications go down, and what kind of assistance you can anticipate needing. Your local EOC will be your lifeline if your shelter needs help. https://flsart.org/resource/countyinformation.jsp
3. If it’s looking like your shelter may be in the path or is subject to flooding, EVACUATE IT. National organizations are standing by to transport animals out of the state to safety. Don’t put your animals or your personnel in harm’s way by trying to operate a shelter in the path of a hurricane. It is much easier to connect with transport and shelter partners well before the storm than at the last minute after the storm hits. Message us at Cameron.moore@ufl.edu if you need help such as evacuating.
4. Need help before, during, or after the hurricane? The First step is to register a mission request with your county EOC. This documents the need and is the quickest way to get help through the Incident Command System. It is also required for any storm-related reimbursements you may be eligible for from the county, state or FEMA. The Second step is to message us at Cameron.moore@ufl.edu and we’ll do our best to connect you with the help you need.
Enroll your shelter in UF’s Florida Animal Shelter Emergency Network
Providing your emergency contact information will enable us to contact you during times your shelter phones may not be answered. Many Florida shelters have already provided emergency contacts so they can receive the urgent notifications they need to stay on top of this fast-moving situation, access grants, receive emergency supplies, and get all the help they need to keep animal and personnel safe. If you’ve already enrolled, we have your back.
If you’re not sure it’s better to be safe and fill it out (which you can do below).
In the meantime,
• Make sure that we have your emergency contact information updated in our system (we will not share your private information outside of our team)
• Be ready to take advantage of any pre-storm transport offered so that you can reserve your limited space for post storm victims
• Transport out any pre-storm adoptable animals that are off their stray hold and available for adoption
• Get medical records updated and printed in case you lose power (place each animal’s record in a plastic sheet protector which can be taped or attached to a carrier)
• Place ID bands on the animals to avoid confusion during transport (if they are microchipped that is great too as long as the chip number is recorded in their medical history)
• Gather crates/carriers for transport and/or temporary fostering
• Ask the community for help with temporary fostering during the storm so you can again free up space in the shelter for post-storm victims
Make sure you have enough s